For years, Cathy Kothari, PhD, worked quietly and tirelessly alongside other leaders and community organizations in Kalamazoo to build a data-driven, coordinated system of care to combat infant mortality and address the racial and socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes.
She was steadfast and shied away from the limelight even as her work left an indelible impact on the community and her unwavering commitment to equity helped improve lives.
But in June, Dr. Kothari, who serves as associate professor emerita in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed), was honored for her enduring legacy during a surprise celebration hosted by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KCF).
During the event, held on Thursday, June 4, Grace Lubwama, PhD, president and CEO of KCF, announced the launch of the Dr. Cathy Kothari Fund for a Healthier Tomorrow to ensure that Dr. Kothari’s leadership in advancing infant mortality research will continue in perpetuity.
“We are so grateful for the work and the commitment you have given this great community” Dr. Lubwama said. “Our goal is to make sure that legacies stay in this community … Dr. Cathy Kothari’s name will never leave the Kalamazoo community.”
Dr. Kothari was all smiles when the event began as she emerged from a meeting with Dr. Lubwama to find the winter garden at KCF filled with her family members and friends, as well as leaders from WMed and county and city officials, who gathered to honor her.
In recognition of her service and leadership, Dr. Kothari was presented with a proclamation from the state of Michigan signed by state Rep. Julie Rogers, state Sen. Sean McCann, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as well as proclamations from the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners and the Kalamazoo City Commission.
“I feel like your entire career has been focused on showing up as your authentic self and your resilient self,” City Commissioner Jeanne Hess said. “You helped lift us all and have left an indelible mark on Kalamazoo. Your leadership has not only shaped policy but it has actively saved and improved lives across our community.”
At WMed, Dr. Kothari served for many years, establishing the population health research team in the Department of Biomedical Sciences before her retirement at the beginning of 2026. Her extensive work at the local, state, and national level has focused on the social determinants of health and she was a leader in the 2014 launch of Cradle Kalamazoo, a community initiative to improve maternal-infant health and reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities. As part of that effort, she developed the Cradle Data Hub which includes a Care Coordination Registry of maternal-infant home visitation programs, Kalamazoo Fetal Infant Mortality Review Team, the Community Voice Panel and the Mom’s Health Experiences Survey.
In addition to that work, Dr. Kothari served in leadership roles on local, state and national advisory boards including the Kalamazoo Interpersonal Violence Response Team, Michigan Infant Mortality Advisory Council, and the National Fetal Infant Mortality Review Racial Disparities Workgroup. She also reinstated the Kalamazoo Fetal Infant Mortality Review Team with the public health department in 2015 and has helped train teams across the country.
“It’s an honor to be here to acknowledge all of the great things that you’ve done,” said Arthur James, MD, a pediatrician and OB/GYN, who is returning to Kalamazoo to continue championing efforts to reduce the black infant mortality rate in the community after serving here for more than 20 years as a physician.
In Kalamazoo, the coordinated effort by Dr. Kothari and others with Cradle Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services has led to a tangible impact on infant mortality and black infant mortality in Kalamazoo. In 2024, for example, black infant mortality in Kalamazoo County reached its lowest level on record. Still, the important work to reduce black infant mortality must continue as black babies in Kalamazoo County are still dying at a rate 2.5 times higher than white babies.
“Through your leadership, you didn’t simply just study the problem, you built an infrastructure to act on it and that’s what community research is about,” said J. Adrian Tyndall, MD, MPH, FACEP, the Hal B. Jenson, MD Dean, President and CEO of WMed. “What stands out most about this is that your research … was designed to be useful, to drive action, to drive people. Your career has been defined by the insistence that change is not only necessary, but that it’s possible.
“Your legacy is visible and perhaps most importantly in the work that will continue because of you,” Dr. Tyndall added. “It will continue for years and years ahead. I am proud that WMed has had the privilege of being associated with you. I am proud that Grace has had the amazing ambition to create a fund that will challenge all of us to contribute to that work that’s ahead.”
Lubwama told those in attendance on June 4 that the fund set up by KCF in Dr. Kothari’s honor was being launched with a $5,000 contribution from the foundation. Lubwama said the fund will help current and future researchers to build on the incredible impact Dr. Kothari has had on the community.
“Cathy, you have left a legacy,” Lubwama said. “You were one person who stood up just as Dr. James was doing this work for years … and he pounded this community telling Kalamazoo we’ve got to do something about infant mortality, especially black infant mortality. Cathy, you were the first white woman that stood in this community and talked about using data to understand the root causes of those disparities and you spoke about racism as part of those causes. Because of that, Cathy, we thank you.
“When everybody’s gone, this community will remember Dr. Cathy Kothari and the love that she left,” Dr. Lubwama added. “Your name will never be erased from Kalamazoo.”
For her part, Dr. Kothari said it was an honor and a privilege to be a part of a collaborative effort in Kalamazoo to combat infant mortality and the social injustices it reflects, and “to have worked on this critical issue with the amazing partners and the extraordinary community support that I’ve had, and WMed made this possible.”
“The work is about the people,” she said. “And the people who showed up today, they’re going to take that work forward and that’s what matters. This fund will empower that work and help the community, and that’s what we’re committed to.
“I’m overwhelmed with the attention,” Dr. Kothari added. “But I am really thankful and forever grateful for the people, the relationships, and the ongoing work.”
To donate to the Dr. Cathy Kothari Fund for a Healthier Tomorrow, please visit https://bit.ly/DrKothariFund.